We took a 45 min. JR train ride from Kyoto to JR Nara station, left our luggage there and boarded a cab to the Todaiji Temple. The temple is old, one of the oldest in Japan, with construction starting around 1,500 years ago.

An imposing Todaiji

The Todaiji is immense and tall. It stands about 10-stories high. It looks gigantic sitting on its large lawn which is purposely devoid of many trees.

The temples is within the larger Nara park. A tree-line boulevard leads from the main road to the entrance gate. Along this boulevard just before the temple gate, stalls can be seen selling souvenirs and crackers.

Lynn wanted some snacks and approached a cracker stall to buy some. Oops! These crackers are not for human consumption but for the deer living just outside the temple walls.

Yes, there are deer within Nara Park. They are tame and friendly. But sometimes overly friendly, as Cheong found out. One came next to him and started nuzzling his ears.This is an extract from my travel blog Japan : Kyoto/Osaka - Day 5

Having finished the sandwiches for lunch (we have learnt to be spartan like the Japanese), it was to the Kiyomize Temple. The temple is located on the eastern outskirts of Kyoto and sits on a lush-green,hill slope, affording one a magnificent view of Kyoto.

The gang at Kiyomizu's entrance

Landscaped Grounds at Kiyomizu

Walking around the ample, green grounds of the temple, our tired feet (from Johnny Walker's 3-hour walking tour earlier in the day) were soon a thing of the past. Somehow we felt serene and eager to see more.

Fountain Shrine at Kiyomizu

There is even a shrine with natural stream water coming out for drinking per the Shinto Custom.